Swanson Funeral Home in Flint shut down for 'deplorable' conditions

Swanson Funeral Home Inc. in Flint has been shut down for "deplorable, unsanitary conditions," including unrefrigerated bodies stored in a garage, maggots throughout the building and blood and fluid stains on casket pillows, the state announced Wednesday.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs suspended the funeral home's mortuary science establishment license and issued a cease-and-desist order, LARA said in a news release.

The license of manager O'Neil Swanson II was also suspended.

The state says several investigations were conducted at the funeral home and found the building smelled of decomposing bodies. Inspectors found bodies stored in garages without air conditioning for more than 90 days and in some cases up to five months.

In addition, the funeral home was found in violation of Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration laws and failed to submit a medical waste management Plan, under the Medical Waste Regulatory Act.

The funeral home could be subject to fines of up to $10,000 for each violation of the occupational code, according to LARA. It could also face the continued suspension or revocation of the licenses, as determined by the Michigan Board of Mortuary Science Examiners.

The funeral home could not be immediately reached for comment.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette lodged complaints against the funeral home in September for gross negligence, incompetence, violation of rule of conduct and inability to serve the public, the Lansing State Journalreported last year.

LARA spokesman Jason Moon declined in an email to comment on the length of time between the complaints and the cease-and-desist order being issued.

Calls placed to the funeral home Wednesday have not been returned.

The funeral home in Flint is a family-owned business that has been open for 50 years, according to its website.

"We are known as, 'The Home of Comfort' because of our dedication to providing peace of mind to all of our customers through caring and personal services," its website says.

The license for the Flint facility is held by Swanson's Funeral Home Inc., which is an assumed name of Swanson Group (Flint) Inc., and a separate legal entity and license from any facility in Detroit, Moon said.

The Swanson Funeral Home in Detroit released a statement saying that its business is headquartered in Detroit with a location in Pontiac and has "no legal or business connection" with the Flint funeral home.

O’Neil D. Swanson is president of the Detroit-based funeral homes, while his son O'Neil D. Swanson II owns and operates the funeral home in Flint, the statement said. Actions taken against the funeral home in Flint have no impact on the Detroit-based Swanson Funeral Home.

“The allegations the state has made against the Flint home are shocking and go against every principle of mortuary science," Swanson, the senior, said in a writte statement. "We have served the community for 59 years and have established an unchallenged record of providing experienced, compassionate service. I want to make it clear to all that the steps taken by the state against the Flint business do not impact us in any way."